Grow the Good
Grow the Good, formerly The Sonya Looney Show, is your guide to continual personal growth, meaningful connections, and positive impact in the world. Challenge the idea that you are broken or need fixing. Instead, discover how to cultivate the good that already exists within you and amplify the strengths and potential you may not yet realize you have. Grounded in the science of positive psychology and guided by the pillars of purpose, vitality, resilience, hope, and connection, each episode is packed with tools, stories, and evidence-backed insights to help you create a more authentic and flourishing life.
Episodes
464 episodes
Mindfulness in Action: Practicing Mental Agility in Real Time
This Mindfulness in Action episode is a real-time practice in mental agility: the ability to notice what’s happening in your thoughts, emotions, and body, and make small adjustments that help you stay aligned with what matters.In the pre...
Mental Agility: How to Work With Your Emotions, Attention, and Inner Chatter
What does it really mean to be mentally agile?In this solo episode, I’m talking about the emotional and attentional skills that help us notice what’s happening inside of us, create space, and choose our next move with more intention. Men...
Rethinking Goals, Striving, and Self-Worth with Jeff Warren and Tasha Schumann
What if so much of our suffering comes from trying to become who we think we’re supposed to be? In this episode, I sit down with meditation teachers Jeff Warren and Tasha Schumann for a wide-ranging, deeply practical conversation about mindfuln...
Mindfulness in Action: Letting Go of “Should”
In this Mindfulness in Action episode, I’m talking about one of the sneakiest forms of distorted thinking: shoulds.You know the ones: I should be doing more. I should have this figured out by now. I should be more disciplined, more patie...
Decision Fatigue, Perfectionism, and the Problem With “Should”
Ever catch yourself thinking, “I should be better than this. I should be doing more. I should have started earlier” and then spiraling? In this solo episode, I’m diving into the world of "should" and how it quietly drives guilt, shame,...
What Flow Really Is: Mindfulness, Self-Trust, and the Challenge-Skill Balance with Dr. Sue Jackson
Flow is one of those words that gets used all the time, but what does it actually mean? And more importantly, how do we create more of it in real life, not just in elite sport or peak performance moments?In this episode, I sit down with ...
Mindfulness in Action: Redefining What It Means to Get Better
In this Mindfulness in Action episode, I’m recording on a trail run and thinking out loud about something I’ve been re-examining in my own life: the pressure to constantly optimize and get better.We hear it everywhere: be more p...
How to Say What You Mean with Oren Jay Sofer | REPLAY
Sometimes it's hard to say what you mean. Oren Jay Sofer says, "Communication is a learnable skill and it’s one of the most powerful levers for making change in your life and the world."
How to Move from Survival Mode to Thriving: Jon Rosemberg on Agency, Stress, and Success
What if the version of “success” you’ve been chasing is actually keeping you stuck in survival mode?In this episode, I sit down with author and coach Jon Rosemberg to talk about what it really means to move from high-functioning survival...
Aging as a Female Endurance Athlete: Perimenopause, Strength Training & Adapting with Jenny Smith
I’ve known Jenny Smith since the early 2000s, back when I was a brand-new pro mountain biker watching her absolutely dominate at Nationals. She’s been a mentor, a competitor, a mom who kept racing when that wasn’t common, and someone I’ve alway...
How to Be a Better Communicator: The OARS Framework from Motivational Interviewing
The most valuable skill I’ve ever learned isn’t about performance, mindset, or even resilience. It’s communication.In this solo episode, I’m teaching you one of the most powerful tools I use as a coach, mentor, professor at the Universit...
Brownout vs. Burnout: Relieving Pressure, Reclaiming Energy, and Realigning Your Life with Jessie Reese
Many of us know what burnout looks like: exhaustion, cynicism, and the feeling that we simply can’t keep going. But there’s another state that shows up far more often and it’s easier to miss. It’s called brownout.In this episode, I sit d...
Mindfulness in Action: Burnout, Drive, and How to Build Real Human Connection
In this Mindfulness in Action episode, I’m sharing a spontaneous trail-side reflection on something that’s been very present for me lately: how we manage drive without burning out and how we stay truly connected in a world that keeps t...
Empathy, ADHD, and Mindfulness: Practical Tools for Anxiety, Burnout, and Emotional Well-Being with Corinne Kneis
One of the things I love most about podcasting is getting to have the conversations I wish more people could hear, especially the ones that normalize what so many of us quietly struggle with.I sit down with my friend and fellow...
The Science of Gratitude: Striving, Meaning, and Why Entitlement Steals Our Joy with Dr. Bob Emmons
Gratitude is one of the most researched, and misunderstood, topics in psychology.In this episode of Grow the Good, I sit down with Dr. Bob Emmons, one of the world’s leading gratitude researchers, for a c...
Mindfulness in Action: Letting Go, Embracing What Matters Next
In this special Mindfulness in Action episode, I’m sharing a very personal reflection from the trails of Squamish, BC where muddy puddles, forest quiet, and time on the bike create space for clarity.For the first time in over 22 years, I...
Nature Connectedness & Well-Being with Molly Peterson & Dr. Holli-Anne Passmore
What if improving your well-being didn’t require more time, effort, or productivity, but simply a deeper relationship with the world around you?I’m your host Sonya Looney, and in this episode of Grow the Good
The Science of Brain Fatigue: How to Balance Ambition, Recovery, and Life Transitions with Scott Frey & Brent Bookwalter
Why do we sometimes feel mentally exhausted even when our bodies are rested? I’m your host Sonya Looney, and in this episode of Grow the Good, I’m joined by neuroscientist Dr. Scott Frey and former professional cyclist...
Building Stronger, Deeper Relationships with Suzie Pileggi Pawelski
What makes relationships truly thrive, not just survive? In this episode of Grow the Good, I sit down with Suzie Pileggi Pawelski, positive psychology expert and co-author of Happy Together: Using the Science of Positive Psychology...
Finding the Courage to Put it All Out There
Today I’m sitting down for an honest reflection about something I’ve been moving through lately: change, identity, and social connection.As I’ve transitioned away from professional mountain biking being the center of my identity, I’ve be...
Mindfulness in Action: 10 Min Meditation for Cycling | REPLAY
Bringing meditation into daily life is a different beast. Today’s moving meditation will be short, simple—and really hard, because we’re taking meditation on the move so you can apply mindfulness to everyday activities like workouts or a quiet ...
Building Antifragility: Thriving Through Challenge with Nick Holton & Adam Wright
What if resilience isn’t enough?In this episode of Grow the Good, I sit down with Dr. Nick Holton and Dr. Adam Wright, co-founders of the Antifragile Academy, to explore how to move beyond just surviving ...
How to Be a Better Communicator | REPLAY
THIS EPISODE IS A GROW THE GOOD REPLAY // I'll let you in on a secret: communication is not just about talking and using words. It's about listening. Yes, the foundation of communication is being a good listener.As a health ...
A Moving Meditation for Your Next Ride | REPLAY
GROW THE GOOD REPLAY // Though mental well-being is the cornerstone of high-performance, achieving the elusive harmony between mind and body can feel impossible. I recorded this moving meditation as a guide for being mindful while r...
Embracing Life Transitions with Grace and Self-Compassion with Ilene Schaffer
Transitions are inevitable. Whether it’s becoming a parent, shifting careers, retiring, or simply navigating unexpected change. But why do transitions feel so unsettling, and how can we meet them with more self-compassion and patience?